{"id":17632,"date":"2018-10-30T09:30:10","date_gmt":"2018-10-30T09:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alhaadi.org.za\/new\/?p=17632"},"modified":"2024-10-10T07:18:31","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T05:18:31","slug":"the-tongue-of-gratitude","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alhaadi.org.za\/?p=17632","title":{"rendered":"The Tongue of Gratitude\u200b"},"content":{"rendered":"

Abu Qilaabah (rahimahullah) was an illustrious Taabi\u2018ee from Basrah who passed away in the year 104 A.H.<\/p>\n

Imaam Awzaa\u2018ee (rahimahullah) narrates the following incident from \u2018Abdullah bin Muhammad (rahimahullah), explaining the manner in which Abu Qilaabah (rahimahullah) passed away. \u2018Abdullah bin Muhammad (rahimahullah) says:<\/p>\n

I once went to the coast to engage in \u2018ribaat\u2019 (guarding the borders of the Islamic lands). At that time, I was posted to the border which was near the city of Arish (a city in Egypt). As I arrived at the coast, I came to an open plain in which a tent was pitched.\u00a0In the tent, I found a man who had lost the use of both his hands and feet. Furthermore, he was hard of hearing and could barely see, and he did not have any servant to attend to him.\u00a0However, his tongue was moving and saying:<\/p>\n

\u0627\u064e\u0644\u0644\u0651\u064e\u0647\u064f\u0645\u0651\u064e \u0623\u064e\u0648\u0652\u0632\u0650\u0639\u0652\u0646\u0650\u064a\u0652 \u0623\u064e\u0646\u0652 \u0623\u064e\u062d\u0652\u0645\u064e\u062f\u064e\u0643\u064e \u062d\u064e\u0645\u0652\u062f\u064b\u0627 \u0623\u064f\u0643\u064e\u0627\u0641\u0650\u0626\u064f \u0628\u0650\u0647\u0650 \u0634\u064f\u0643\u0652\u0631\u064e \u0646\u0650\u0639\u0652\u0645\u064e\u062a\u0650\u0643\u064e \u0627\u0644\u0651\u064e\u062a\u0650\u064a\u0652 \u0623\u064e\u0646\u0652\u0639\u064e\u0645\u0652\u062a\u064e \u0628\u0650\u0647\u064e\u0627 \u0639\u064e\u0644\u064e\u064a\u0651\u064e \u0648\u064e\u0641\u064e\u0636\u0651\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0646\u0650\u064a\u0652 \u0639\u064e\u0644\u064e\u0649 \u0643\u064e\u062b\u0650\u064a\u0652\u0631\u064d \u0645\u0651\u0650\u0640\u0645\u0651\u064e\u0646\u0652 \u062e\u064e\u0644\u064e\u0642\u0652\u062a\u064e \u062a\u064e\u0641\u0652\u0636\u0650\u064a\u0652\u0644\u0627\u064b<\/strong><\/p>\n

O Allah! Enable me to praise You in such a manner that my praise will suffice as gratitude for Your favours which You have showered upon me,\u00a0and indeed You have favoured me immensely over many of Your creation.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hearing the man recite this du\u2018aa, I said to myself,\u00a0\u201cBy Allah! I must go to this man and ask him regarding these words!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0I thus approached him, greeted him with salaam and said, \u201cI heard you making du\u2018aa, asking Allah Ta\u2018ala to enable you to praise Him in such a manner that your praise will suffice as gratitude for His favours upon you. (When you seem to be undergoing so much of hardship and difficulty, then)\u00a0which favour from the favours of Allah Ta\u2018ala are you praising Him for, and which virtue over others has He given you for which you are thanking Him?\u201d<\/p>\n

The man replied,\u00a0\u201cDo you not behold how kindly Allah Ta\u2018ala has dealt with me? By Allah! Even if Allah Ta\u2018ala commanded the sky to rain fire on me and it reduced me to ashes, and He commanded the mountains to crush me and they reduced me to smithereens, and He commanded the oceans to drown me and they suffocated me with water, and He commanded the earth to swallow me and it pulled me into its depths,\u00a0I would only increase my praise of Allah Ta\u2018ala on account of this tongue with which He has blessed me!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

He then said to me, \u201cNow that you have come, I have a need to ask of you. You can see the condition that I am in, where I can neither benefit nor harm myself (as I am helpless). I had a young son with me who would care for me and look after me. At the time of salaah, he would assist me to make wudhu, when I would be hungry, he would feed me, and when I would feel thirsty, he would help me to drink.\u00a0However, I have not seen my son for the last three days. Please find him for me \u2013 may Allah Ta\u2018ala have mercy on you.\u201d\u00a0I replied, \u201cBy Allah! No creation of Allah Ta\u2018ala, who set out to fulfil the need of another creation of Allah Ta\u2018ala, will gain a greater reward from Allah Ta\u2018ala than the one who sets out to fulfil your need (as you are absolutely helpless and unable to fend for yourself).\u201d<\/p>\n

I then set out in search of the young boy. I had gone just a short distance when I found myself between some sand dunes and suddenly discovered the boy.\u00a0He had been killed by wild animals that had fed on the flesh of his body.\u00a0Seeing this pitiful sight, I immediately recited,\u00a0\u201cInnaa lillaahi wa innaa ilaihi raaji\u2018oon\u201d<\/em>. I then began to ponder over the gentlest possible way in which I could break the news to the man that his son was no more, and had been killed and eaten by wild animals.<\/p>\n

As I returned, the story of Nabi Ayyoob (\u2018alaihis salaam) came to mind. On arriving back at the tent, I greeted him with salaam. He replied to the salaam and asked (as he could barely see), \u201cAre you the same person with whom I was speaking earlier?\u201d \u201cYes,\u201d I replied. He asked,\u00a0\u201cDid you manage to fulfil my need?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

In response, I asked him, \u201cAre you more beloved to Allah Ta\u2018ala, or was Nabi Ayyoob (\u2018alaihis salaam) more beloved to Allah Ta\u2018ala?\u201d \u201cNabi Ayyoob (\u2018alaihis salaam),\u201d he replied. I then asked,\u00a0\u201cDo you know how Allah Ta\u2018ala tested him? Did Allah Ta\u2018ala not test him with the loss of his wealth, family and children?\u201d\u00a0The man replied, \u201cCertainly!\u201d I next asked, \u201cHow did he respond to this test from Allah Ta\u2018ala?\u201d The man replied, \u201cAllah Ta\u2018ala found him patient, grateful and hymning His praise.\u201d In this manner, I continued to ask him regarding different tests which Nabi Ayyoob (\u2018alaihis salaam) underwent, asking him, each time\u00a0\u201cHow did he respond to this test from Allah Ta\u2018ala?\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Eventually, the man said, \u201cMay Allah Ta\u2018ala have mercy on you, get to the point!\u201d<\/p>\n

I then said, \u201cI found the boy that you sent me to search for between some sand dunes. Wild animals had attacked him and consumed his flesh. May Allah Ta\u2018ala grant you a great reward and enable you to be patient.\u201d Hearing this, the man exclaimed,\u00a0\u201cAll praise is due to Allah Ta\u2018ala who did not create from my progeny one who would disobey Him and be punished by Him in the fire!\u201d\u00a0He then recited\u00a0\u201cInnaa lillaahi wa innaa ilaihi raaji\u2018oon\u201d<\/em>, emitted a shriek and breathed his last!<\/p>\n

I recited \u201cInnaa lillaahi wa innaa ilaihi raaji\u2018oon\u201d once again and said, \u201cWhat a problem this is! If I leave his body as it is, the animals will consume it, and if I remain here, I will not be able to do anything (as I cannot bury him on my own).\u201d I thus covered him with the cloak which was on his body and remained seated at his head side, weeping in sadness.<\/p>\n

While I was seated there, a group of four men suddenly came by. Seeing me, they stopped and asked, \u201cO \u2018Abdullah! What is your situation and what has transpired?\u201d I thus related the entire incident to them. On hearing the incident, they requested,\u00a0\u201cReveal his face to us so that we may look at him, for it is possible that we may recognize him.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0I acceded to their request, and as soon as their gaze fell on his face, they began to kiss his eyes and hands exclaiming, \u201cWhat a lengthy period passed with this eye lowered, not gazing at haraam!\u00a0What a lengthy period passed with this body in sajdah every night while people were fast asleep!\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing the reverence that they showed to this man, I asked, \u201cMay Allah Ta\u2018ala have mercy on you! Who is this man?\u201d They answered,\u00a0\u201cThis is Abu Qilaabah (rahimahullah), the student of Ibnu \u2018Abbaas (radhiyallahu \u2018anhuma). He had intense love for Allah Ta\u2018ala and His Rasul (sallallahu \u2018alaihi wasallam).\u201d\u00a0We then carried out the ghusl, enshrouded his body, performed the janaazah salaah and buried him. Thereafter, the group resumed their journey while I proceeded to the border.<\/p>\n

That night, when I placed my head down and went to sleep, I had a dream. In the dream, I saw Abu Qilaabah (rahimahullah) in an orchard of Jannah, clad in two splendid garments from the garments of Jannah. He was reciting the verse of the Quraan Majeed:<\/p>\n

\u0633\u064e\u0644\u064e\u0627\u0645\u064c \u0639\u064e\u0644\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0643\u064f\u0645 \u0628\u0650\u0645\u064e\u0627 \u0635\u064e\u0628\u064e\u0631\u0652\u062a\u064f\u0645\u0652 \u0641\u064e\u0646\u0650\u0639\u0652\u0645\u064e \u0639\u064f\u0642\u0652\u0628\u064e\u0649 \u0627\u0644\u062f\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0631\u0650<\/strong><\/p>\n

Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured. How excellent is the final home!<\/em><\/p>\n

I asked him,\u00a0\u201cHow did you receive this rank and reward?\u201d<\/em>\u00a0He replied,\u00a0\u201cAllah Ta\u2018ala has certain high ranks that can only be achieved through exercising patience over calamities and expressing gratitude in times of ease, together with constantly fearing Allah Ta\u2018ala, both in one\u2019s public life and in one\u2019s private life.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Kitaabuth Thiqaat libni Hibbaan vol. 2, pg. 252)<\/em><\/p>\n

Lessons:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Despite all the difficulties that Abu Qilaabah (rahimahullah) was undergoing, he remained grateful for the bounty of his tongue. Out of gratitude, he kept his tongue engaged in the praise of Allah Ta\u2018ala.\u00a0Hence, in order to express gratitude to Allah Ta\u2018ala for the innumerable bounties which we enjoy, we should use these bounties to please Allah Ta\u2018ala\u00a0(perform \u2018ibaadah, assist others, etc), together with verbally expressing our gratitude.<\/p>\n

2. Every person faces difficulties and challenges in his life. Instead of looking at what we\u00a0don\u2019t<\/em>\u00a0have, let us look at what we\u00a0are<\/em>\u00a0enjoying.<\/p>\n

3. When \u2018Abdullah (rahimahullah) discovered the body of Abu Qilaabah\u2019s (rahimahullah) son, his concern was over how he could break the news to the father in the gentlest manner possible.\u00a0Hence, together with monitoring\u00a0what<\/em>\u00a0we say, we should ensure that we monitor\u00a0how<\/em>\u00a0we say it, so that no pain or inconvenience is caused to any person.<\/p>\n

4. On receiving the news of his son\u2019s demise, the spontaneous response of Abu Qilaabah (rahimahullah) was to thank Allah Ta\u2018ala that his son had not passed away in sin and disobedience. This is indeed one of the greatest bounties \u2013\u00a0the bounty of a pious child.<\/em><\/p>\n

>>>Download Musjid Poster\u00a0Page 1<\/a>,\u00a0Page 2<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Page 3<\/a><<<<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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